Santo Domingo.– The president of the National Council of Private Enterprise (CONEP), Celso Juan Marranzini, warned that the imposition of a 12.5% tariff by the United States could affect the Dominican Republic’s exports to that market in the medium and long term, which is why he insisted on the need to achieve a preferential agreement that allows the country to take advantage of nearshoring opportunities.
Marranzini explained that Dominican exports to the United States are complementary and are part of value chains, so they do not replace American jobs.
“This is an issue that should be resolved, and the Dominican Republic should have preferential access to be able to be part of all that opportunity offered by nearshoring. Our exports to the United States do not replace American labor; rather, they are part of the value chain for that country,” he expressed.
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The business leader maintained that the situation must be a priority for the Government and the private sector, considering that both must work together to overcome the challenge.
When asked if he believes the Government has been slow to respond, Marranzini rejected that claim and asserted that the authorities have acted with diligence since the process began.
“We are very aware that the Government, since this began more than a year ago, has been very diligently addressing it. It is a global imposition that affects more than 60 countries and the European Union. What it is about is persevering, because if we do not manage to overcome it, it will have a negative impact on our ability to export to the United States in the medium and long term,” he stated.
For his part, the Minister of the Presidency, José Ignacio Paliza, assured that the Government will exhaust all efforts to seek the best possible treatment for the Dominican Republic in its trade relations with the United States.
“We are going to do everything in our power, taking advantage of the good relations we have, so that this issue can be handled in the best way and we can obtain the best treatment in relation to our main trading partners,” he stated.
Paliza maintained that the situation should not cause concern in the productive sector, assuring that the Government will work to preserve the competitiveness of Dominican exports.
“It is not an issue that should cause concern because we will do everything necessary so that the national productive sector, especially the export sector, can continue participating in international markets with the same capabilities and without any elements that hinder the growth and development of our export sectors,” he concluded.
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The Dominican Republic was included by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump on the list of countries that will face new tariffs for being considered to have failed to effectively implement a ban on the import of goods produced in whole or in part by forced labor.
This provision directly impacts the country’s free trade zones dedicated to the production and export to the United States of electronic devices, medical instruments and devices, tobacco, and clothing.
